This trio of albums are dedicated to our old friend Uri.I sheepishly admit that I still find this music a bit of a struggle to listen to. The fact is I am pretty limited in my ability to absorb and enjoy free jazz and the fact that someone like Threadgill, who is considered to be one of the more accessible of free artists, is still a struggle for me says I haven't made much progress in opening my ears.
For a long time these three albums, which are considered by many to be a peak time in Threadgills' career, went without a cd reissue. That was briefly addressed in 2001 when they were issued on cd, but those issues were small and the cd's are now even harder to find than the LP's. That explains why I've ended up ripping these for my friend Cliff. The albums were very nice copies, the rips sound good - if you look up any of these three at All Music you will find rave reviews.
It's not them, it's me.
Just The Facts And Pass The Bucket.rar
ReplyDeletehttp://www.embedupload.com/?d=8WHKIDIJFT
Subject To Change.rar
http://www.embedupload.com/?d=1OVRCJVKIA
When Was That.rar
http://www.embedupload.com/?d=1HDKIAFSLN
Free Jazz, Energy Music, hmmm... I often enjoy this stuff live, but cannot get into it at home on the stereo. Still, Threadgill is considered one of its finest proponents and you've got me a tad curious. Now, which one will be easiest on the ears? Thanks for the opportunity to explore new territory.
ReplyDeleteI can also most-times dig right into the live experience no problem - and find that recordings just don't make it.
ReplyDeleteThen of course there is much of it that's plain jive-ass wankery from nude emperors.
Can't quite see Threadgill being considered one its finest proponents.
Nope KC, it's not just you - a lot of it is them.
"Free Jazz" ? "Can't quite see Threadgill being considered one its finest proponents"? Mr. Threadgill is one of America's finest composers (like it or not) and I challenge you to figure out which parts of these recordings are improvised or composed...the "real" answers may surprise you. However, those who cannot hear it don't have to listen!! Great post, KC!!
ReplyDeletePerhaps I've mislabeled the music, not particularly surprising - would Avant Garde be a more accurate term? I've found my way to being able to appreciate most of the other Chicago guys of this era, so I suppose it will just take some additional 'forced listening' to open my ears - I spent many years finding Hank Mobley and Jackie McLean un-listenable due to tonal issues despite my overall appreciation of their music, so the idea that sometimes it takes some work isn't foreign to me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess "avant-garde" or "creative music" or some of the other labels hatched up work... hey, maybe it isn't "jazz" per se, but some of it DOES reward the deep listening required of it. But don't ever apologize for not liking something (and don't pretend to like something just 'cause it's "cool")!
ReplyDeleteThanks KC for a great post. Threadgill is not an easy listen (not always though: to cite one example, the joyful "Bermuda Blues" from the 1986 album You Know The Number is eminently listenable and interesting), but he is a rewarding composer and a master arranger using unexpected instrumental timbres and colours to great effect.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot K.C.!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are most certainly welcome my friend.
ReplyDeleteexcellent post !!!!....
ReplyDeleteBig THX !!!!.....
Threadgill is one of the masters. Thanks KC for Subject To Change, I missed out on the vinyl when it was available in the pre CD days. As Bombhelter says "...those who cannot hear it don't have to listen!!" and I'll add "they don't have to make ignorant comments either". Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteIt is surely better that people are giving this a listen, even if they then decide that they don't like it, rather than not bothering to listen at all.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much.